The Secret Marauder
by Readmedotcom
Summary: Harry was told there were four Marauders. That was a lie. Harry was told there were 3 unregistered animagi. That was a lie. In fact there was another. One that was never told. No one knows why but maybe that's because to Sirius it was too much of a painful story to reveal. Something had happened to the Secret Marauder but whatever it was, Sirius lied and he lied because of Love.
1. Chapter 1

Harry was told there were four Marauders. That was a lie.

Harry was told there were three unregistered animagi. That was a lie.

In fact there was another. One that was never told. No one knows why, but maybe that's because to Sirius, it was too much of a painful story to reveal. Maybe something had happened to the Secret Marauder, but whatever it was, Sirius lied, and he lied because of love.

He walked down the train constantly flicking his overgrown hair out of his eyes. He made his way to his usual compartment; to not only find the three other Marauders in there, but a girl with golden brown locks that fell down her back. She hid herself behind her hair, but a book as well that she was so intrigued in. The first thing he noticed unusual about her was her amber coloured eyes stood out the most from her petite body, as the flickered his way for a slight moment, he saw that they made her look aware all the time. The scruffy dark haired boy didn't recognise her at all so slid the door open and made his entrance.

"SIRIUS" Remus Lupin and Peter Pettergrew exclaimed, jumping out of their seats giving him a hug.

"I told you guys he hadn't left the country." James said flicking through the pages of the Dailey Prophet. He sat next to the new girl as if he didn't even see her there. He saw Sirius's gaze flicker towards her in curiosity. "Oh, Sirius, this is Ariel, as in Ariel like the mermaid." Ariel looked up and gave Sirius a small smile.

"Hey Ariel, I have no idea what the mermaid is, but I'm sure you will like me, I'm just so amazing" The fifth year gave a cocky grin as he made his was to sit down on the other side of her, so James and him had her blocked in. She rolled her eyes and continued reading her book. He frowned and looked at James.

"James, what's 'the mermaid'?" He said to James as Peter, a short chubby boy, and Remus, a tall lanky man, took back their seats opposite their friends.

"I have no idea" He leaned forward to look at Sirius and whispered behind Ariel's book. "I asked her who she was and she said she was Ariel, like the mermaid." She looked up and stared at the boys.

"Are you quite done talking about me?" She asked closing her book, knowing she obviously wasn't going to be able to get any ready done on the journey to Hogwarts. Sirius and James smirked at each other before looking at the girl who sat beside them.

"Not really." They both said in unison. Sirius leaned back and stretched his left arm out behind her head and let his legs fall into a heap on her lap. "I want to know all about you. Where you from? Why are you five years late to school? Geez and I thought I was bad." Sirius muttered under his breath rather loudly.

"I am not late" The amber eyed girl spat, kicking Sirius' legs off of her. "I'm a transfer. I'm from Britain, I just lived in France and attended Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, but we finally moved back to England, after my nagging for five years about how I hated Beauxbatons." She finished.

"Not to be rude, but what blood status are you?" James asked. He said after sitting back down from sliding his newspaper on the top of his trunk over his head.

"My parents are muggles if that what you mean." She said unsurely, wondering if they were going to kick her out for not being 'pure' unlike some other people.

"SHE'S MY NEW BEST FRIEND!" Sirius screamed grabbing a hold of her and bringing her into a hug. This, she was not expecting.

"Hey you stupid prat, what about me?" James complained, folding his arms like a spoiled child and furrowing his eyebrows.

"You're my baby brother Jamie, so shush up. You know how much it would piss off my parents to have a muggle born best friend." This was true, James nodded and relaxed slightly but Ariel didn't. She was still being squished by Sirius' embrace, and to be quite honest, she didn't like it.

Suddenly all their gazes turned to the door as it slid open aggressively to reveal a furious dark red headed girl. James face brighten up as she entered the room but it then died down again as he saw her death glares were aimed at him.

"Go on; tell me, what have I done this time Lils?" He asked the girl standing before him with her arms folded tightly. Sirius let go of Ariel and watched in amusement as Lilly yelled at James.

"Will you, for once in your life Potter, stop spreading rumours about Sev? He has in no way offended me or called me a Mudblood" She growled at him. James face smirked slightly but Lilly Evans was not finding what was so funny. She sent him another death glare which made his smirk disappear.

"Who? Snivellus?" James started but was only interrupted by Lilly again as she corrected him.

"Severus"

"Oh, right Snivelly."

"James Potter!" She yelled, ready to attack him. James stopped, and gave Lilly a sheepish smile.

"Lilly, will you go out with me?" James said changing the subject.

"Oh no not this again." Remus muttered under his breath, before sinking his head into his hands. Lilly let out a scream of annoyance and just stormed out the room. Ariel couldn't quite believe what happened before her eyes. She looked at James who did seem as heartbroken as any normal rejected teenager might have been, instead he simply brushed it off it shoulders.

"I'm taking that as a no, so that's about the nine hundredth and fifty sixth time, not that I'm keeping track or anything. She will come around soon enough."

"If you say so" Peter squeaked and pulled out spare change from his pocket ready for the trolley to come around. Remus pulled out Hogwarts a history and started to continue the book from where he had last stopped. Ariel just stared past Sirius and out of the window, watching the green scenery go past in a blur. Eventually a very bored Sirius waved his hand in front of her Amber eyes. She gave him a glare and just continued to look out of the window. He then tapped her on the head.

"Is anyone in there?" He looked through her ear, much to her displeasure and said to James "Oh, hi Jamie." He waved at her head. He then turned to Ariel.

"Areil,-"

"It's Ariel" She corrected him.

"Well Miss Mermaid, I can see through your head, I don't think that's meant to be like that." He nodded his head and had a very sophisticated Healer kind of look on his face.

"What is your problem?" She asked, slapping away Sirius' hand from her head. Everyone in the room burst out in laughter.

"The question is; what's not his problem? Miss Mermaid." James replied patting her on the head like a little girl. She gave him a horrified look and slapped his hand away too.

"You sure like slapping people" James and Sirius said.

"You sure like being ignorant twats" she shot back. Remus held back a laugh and hid behind his book. At least someone was finding amusement out of this. Sirius and James both put a hand over their heart and gave a whimpering look.

"Hurtful" They both said in unison, faking pain. Then they both looked at each other and burst out in laughter. Ariel just sighed, shaking her head before resting it on the back of the seat.

It was unusually quiet in their compartment for the next ten minutes. Remus was lost in his book; Peter had got a hold of Bertie Bott's every Flavour Beans and was stuffing his face with them. James was throwing his golden stitch in the air over and over again. And Sirius had just dozed off. Ariel just sat there, wondering if these idiots would notice if she just slipped out.

"You know Ariel. I like you. I think you are going to be a great laugh." James said not looking at her but the golden ball hovering over his head. The wings then closed in, and fell down into James' hand, where he threw it up again.

"I wish I could say the same" she said nibbling on the end of a sugar quill James had handed her when the trolley had come.

"Hey, we aren't that bad." James complained, he then leant forward and pointed at Sirius. "It's him you need to look out for." His whisper tickled her ear, and then as if by queue, Sirius' sleeping body toppled over on top of Ariel, who lost her balance and then toppled over on to James. James held in his laugh, but could when Ariel said in annoyance:

"Great, I'm like the turkey in a turkey sandwich, but instead of bread, I have two boys." Even Ariel cracked a smile. With the help of Remus, she got a now awake Sirius off of her. She ruffled his hair like he was a dog.

"Aww, was poor little Snuffles sleeping?" Everyone looked at her like she was a weirdo. She gave them the same look back. "What, he looks like a happy dog when he sleeps."

"Snuffles, really?" Ariel nodded, widening her protuberant eyes. "Wow, she's a trouble maker already, I can tell. Can we keep her, please James?" Sirius jumped up a down on the seat looking at the dark haired boy on the other side of Ariel.

"If we must."

By the time they got to Hogwarts, all of them had changed into their robes and they were walking down to the carriages where Ariel saw Threstles pulling them along. She patted on of them on the shoulder before entering the carriage.

"Ah, so your one of those people. Who died?" Sirius asked a little too bluntly for her liking. She sat next to Remus and James, opposite Peter and Sirius.

"My brother." She didn't say anything else, and the four boys could tell she wasn't ready for opening up so just nodded their head and changed the subject to Quidditch.

"Dude, stop steeling my stitch. You're the chaser, not the seeker." Sirius complained to James as he snatched the golden ball out of James' palm. "Anyway, Ariel, you have to be in Gryffindor, because otherwise, we can't be your friends." Although Ariel didn't exactly completely love these boys, she was warming up to them, and they were the only people willing to get to know her so far. So she just nodded. "You can be cheerleader for Gryffindor or something then." He smirked at her. She was beginning to get the gist that James and Sirius were kind of bad boys. God knows what they are like actually in school.

"Erm, I'm good thanks." She replied giving him a sarcastic smile.

When they entered the gates of Hogwarts Ariel stared up at the castle in awe. The glowing castle in the starry night sky looks absolutely stunning.

"It's beautiful." She whispered in surprise.

"Least that something we can all agree on" James said. They all looked up at the castle and were becoming inpatient, trying to contain their excitement of finally arriving. Ariel was told she couldn't go into the great Hall with the boys and had to wait outside with all the first years and other late arrivals. She watched the boys enter the magical castle as she waited patiently outside. When Professor McGonagall finally led them into the great hall they all queued up down the middle aisle.

"White, Ariel" Ariel heard her name being called up first, because they probably wanted to get all the transfers out of the way first. She made her way up to the old looking women and sat on the stool where a grim looking hat was placed on her head.

"Hmm, Ariel." The hat spoke to her quietly. "Oh dear, girl you've been through a lot for someone who's just fifteen. Cunning you are, so you can be a Slytherine, but they wouldn't like your blood status. Maybe Ravenclaw? You are full of information, but they aren't worthy off your bravery. Bravery. That's it, that's what it is about you that makes you a... GRYFFINDOR!" the hat yelled for everyone in the hall to hear. One of the four tables in the room stood up and cheered loudly. She spotted the four boys she had befriended, and looked at the seat they had saved for her. She hopped off of the stool and ran down to the boys who attacked her with bear hugs. She sat next to Sirius who punched her playfully in the arm.

"I knew you were one of us." He said, but before he could say anything else he was interrupted by the red headed girl that was yelling at James on the train. She was sitting next to Remus and some of her friends. James had scooted over to sit next to Ariel and opposite Lilly, to her dismay.

"I can't believe these boys have already brainwashed you Ariel. My names Lilly Evans by the way and believe me when I say, if you need to get away from the Marauders, your always welcome." She said with a smile before turning her back on us all and chatting to the girl who was sitting next to her.

"Marauders?" Ariel asked, looking at each four boys.

"That's us" Peter squeaked like always. She knew she was going to become irritated with that boy. Suddenly everyone was on their feet cheering again as another person was made Gryffindor. Ariel stood up clapping looking at James who began to explain.

"We call ourselves the Marauders." He said before sitting down. "We are known for our rule-breaking and mischief making as everyone says. You can join us if you want."

And that is when the fifth Marauder was found.


	2. Chapter 2

"So you're a werewolf? And when were you planning on telling me this?" Ariel said standing in the boy's room, hands on his looking at each and every one of them. James was lounging on the window seat, where Sirius was sprawled out on him bed. Peter was on the floor, quill in hand, catching up on his potions homework.

Ariel had just walked in on the boys talking about becoming animagi to help Remus on the next full moon.

"It's not that we weren't going to tell you, we were just going to become unregistered animagi first in case you disapproved." Sirius sighed. James wasn't even paying attention to the conversation; he was just looking out of the window at the falling snow.

"I don't disapprove, I agree, Remus needs controlling when a werewolf, but you can't just expect me to sit back and watch as you go out every month risking your lives." She said folding her arms. Remus sat down on the edge of his bed, whereas Sirius got off of his and stood up. James turned his head and looked at them.

"If you're asking to join us, I can't let you." Sirius said lazily fiddling with the stitch that was in his hand.

"And why not?" Ariel yelled frustrated. She glared at Sirius who took a step forward.

"Because you could get hurt" he growled. His hair was cut shorter so Ariel could see his grey eyes more clearly.

"I don't care. Remus is my friend too, and you can't just expect to me to sit back and watch you all get hurt when I know I could help!"

"Sirius, just let her, she has a point." James said sleepily. Sirius didn't take his eyes of Ariel. He just kept looking at her fiercely.

"Whatever, but if you get hurt and end up in the hospital wing, don't expect me to be sitting there waiting for you to wake up." He shot at her before turning his back on her and returning back to his bed. Ariel sat on his trunk at the end of his bed where she usually sat when she was in the boy's room.

"I never would expect you to." She muttered under her breath. "Anyway, can any of you cast a patronus?" she asked around. James hand shot up and so did Remus and Sirius'. All but Peters. "Well it is said that the creature of your patronus is meant to be the animal your transform into if you are an animagus." Ariel said.

The white fur glowed in the moonlight, the artic fox jumped on the werewolf holding it down, trying its best to prevent it from hurting the black dog. But it was too late. Padfoot had a massive gash in his leg. Blood poured out and leaked all over the floor in the Shrieking shack. Prongs pushed the werewolf back with his antlers to let the whimpering dog out. He limped out of the room and fell down the stairs. The grey beast howled and shook Snowball off of his back causing her to fall on the floor and yelp. A rat scurried across the floor and distracted the werewolf. The artic fox left the Stag while she made her way to Padfoot who was on the floor and the bottom of the stairs. The dog was moaning and Snowball dragged him out of the shrieking shack. She dodged the branches from the whomping willow, and tried her best to get Padfoot to the forbidden forest. When she reached the woods she found a clearing and rested Padfoot down. She knew she shouldn't have left Prongs, but Padfoot was injured.

He resisted whimpering but every once in a while he couldn't help but let it slip. The pain was agonising. Snowball started to panic as all the blood started coming out of him a little too fast than she could handle. His grey eyes started drooping and Snowball didn't know what to do, she couldn't let him go. She licked his face trying to keep him awake and it was working, his eyes fixed on her and she tried to keep him awake.

They had survived most of the night, and she was sure that Padfoot could handle a couple more hours. The full moon was nearly over. She needed to help Prongs, but leaving Padfoot alone was too much of a risk. Snowball turned herself back into her human form and Padfoot could see the tears forming in her unusual amber eyes. He didn't dare turn back in case the pain as a human might not be enough for him to bear.

"Snuffles, why do you do this to me." She whimpered as she pulled out her wand and started performing healing charms. "And you had a go at me about becoming an animagus in case I got hurt. Well look who's hurt now. Don't expect me next to your bed at the hospital wing." She whispered rubbing his belly "Expect me sprawled out on it, snoring it your face." She muttered quietly wiping her wet eyes. Even though he was in his dog form, she could have sworn he had laughed, which must be a good sign.

She looked at the massive wound on his leg. Most of the blood had been cleared up, all of the small cuts had been healed, but for her to heal this massive wound on his leg she would need Dittany.

"I will be right back, Snuffles. Don't you dare move!" She said pointing at him with her aggressive tone. She transformed into the beautiful Artic fox and ran out of the forbidden forest and towards the castle. She had to keep herself hidden, with such a pure white coat in the dark night; she could be spotted a mile away. She tip-toed across the grounds once she reached them. She made her way to the greenhouse where she usually has her Herbology lessons. This was a major risk, because dittany is rare and only used for healers and very rarely potion making, so if she took some, someone is bound to notice.

She approached the plant and took a sample. A very large sample. It was completely noticeable but it didn't matter, she could either lie about being there or say she found an injured centaur when she went for a walk down by the lake, in the late evening. She ran out of the greenhouse and back to the forbidden forest, as fast as her legs would allow her to go. The dittany held in her mouth. The disgusting taste tickled her tongue and she nearly coughed it all out. As she reached Snuffles she turned back into human again.

"Oy, Snuffles, don't you dare sleep on me! Wake up you ignorant fool." She growled. When he didn't bark at her she started working on his leg in a hurry with the dittany. If it was an essence it probably would have been easier to use, but she was in a hurry and had no time to purify it so just made do. The wound started healing and Snowball collapsed on the floor with a sigh. Snuffles eyes fluttered open and he looked up at her. "You scared me half to death, you smelly old dog." She then returned into an Artic fox and curled up in a ball next to him. Her amber eyes wide awake for a few seconds before she wrapped her tail around her, keeping her warm, she then fluttered her eyes closed, looking like a snowball.

Sirius looked at the ball of fur lying next to him. He stood up in his normal human body and examined his leg. It was weak, but she had done a good job. He bent over and stroked the top of her head, but she didn't wake up, only her ear twitched. He this stroked her under her chin and her eyes snapped open. She jumped up and growled at him, he took a step back, and she took a step forward.

"Snowy, calm down, there's no time for this. We have potions in half an hour, and if we are late, Sluggy is gonna kill us!" Sirius said a little panicked. Ariel stood before him with her brown locks falling down her back. "Well are you coming or not Miss Mermaid?"

"I'm not Miss Mermaid" She replied untangling her hair from a twig she had obviously rolled in during the night.

"Miss White face?"

She just glared at him

"Whitey"

"Dopey!" She yelled at him

"Who the hell is Dopey?" Sirius swore in confusion.

"A dwarf" Ariel replied. "A dopey dwarf." She walked past him and headed out of the forbidden forest, not wanting to stay in there much longer. There was a reason it was called the forbidden forest.

"I am not a dwarf; you're the midget out of all of us." Sirius argued.

"I am not a midget, I am fun sized" Ariel shot back and stalked off. Sirius who was walking slowly because of his leg, sort of jogged up next to her to keep up with her walking.

"Whatever you say, Midget" Sirius said. "I have to say, James was right about you looking like a snowball when you sleep as a fox. You look so cute and peaceful when you sleep, why can't you sleep all the time?" He complained walking a little slower.

"Why can't you stop being a hypercritical basted all the time?" She shot back at him as they walked up to the shrieking shack to see if the other three were there, and to their surprise, they were all sprawled out on the bed snoring their heads off. Ariel picked up a stick and poked James up the nose. Sirius couldn't help but chuckle when he fell off the edge of the bed.

"Lilly, I will save you." He yelled. He then rolled over on the floor. "I love you too Lils." That's when Sirius walked over to him and lightly kicked him in the ribcage, bent over to his face and yelled in his ear.

"Wake up dude!"

"Five more minutes, Lilly wants to marry me!" he complained.

"James, the girl's dormitories are on fire." Ariel said prodding Remus with the same stick that was up James nose.

"BUT LILLY SLEEPS THERE!" He said jumping up and running out of the shrieking shack. Remus and peter groaned as they stood up.

"Why is it he always falls for that?" Remus murmured as he rubbed his eyes awake. He had a huge cut running down his cheek. James had obviously cleared up all the cuts that he could on Remus and himself. We all shrugged our shoulders as a very angry James came storming into the room with his arms crossed.

"There's no fire!" he growled at Ariel

"Well Nah shit Sherlock." She replied sarcastically.

"Sarcasm, I like it Snowball." Sirius said to Ariel as they all walked out of the room and headed to their lesson, now late.

"Who's Sherlock?" James said a little confused. Ariel just patted his head and laughed. She loved being the muggle born out of all of them; she could just confuse them all the time. They made their way to the dungeons where they would no doubt be rewarded with points taken away for being late. Professor Slughorn was not what you called a horrible teacher, he was rather nice, it's just he is the Slytherine head of house. They reached the door and all looked at Ariel and Sirius.

"What?" Ariel asked breaking the silence as the three boys looked at Ariel and Sirius. She caught a glance at Sirius who had a bemused look on his face. "What? Seriously guys, what?" She said folding her arms becoming a little more frustrated.

"Well you two sort of look like you got up to a little too much fun in a forest last night." Ariel let her mouth drop open and punched a very hysterical Sirius.

"What are you saying? James, you saw that massive wound, you know I only took him out there to clear it up. I just was exhausted, and fell asleep. He had already dozed off, and there was no way I was gonna even endeavour carrying him again." Ariel lectured. James nodded and before anyone could stop them, Moony and Wormtail darted into the room, taking the first entrance.

"Oh I know Ariel, it's just no matter how we go in, everyone is gonna think something is up." James said.

"Oh my god Ariel, who gives a crap." Sirius complained grabbing her hand and dragging her into the classroom.

Okay, she knew how the scene must have looked. A smirking teenage boy dragging a frustrated girl, by the hand, into a classroom, half an hour late for lessons, completely covered in dirt, with leaves all over their uniform and twigs in their hair. With a hooting friend walking behind them with the biggest smirk on his face, and to make it even worse, Sirius just had to open his bloody mouth.

"Sorry we are late Professor. Ariel kept me preoccupied." Ariel slapped him around the back of the head and everyone in the class laughed. James took his seat next to Peter leaving Ariel to sit next Sirius.

"Ten points from Gryffindor...Each. Don't let it happen again Potter, Black and White" Sirius dragged Ariel to their seats, and she kicked him in his bad leg just before he sat down, causing him to collapse on his chair, making a loud noise.

"You just had to make a big scene, didn't you Snuffles?" Ariel whispered to Sirius.

"Have you met me?"

"Unfortunately." Was all she replied. She looked up at the teacher and tried to engage in what he was saying but Sirius wasn't having any of it. He obviously wanted to carry on having a conversation, which would only lead to detention.

"Don't be like that." Sirius muttered. "It was just a joke, chill women." He said raising his hands in apology.

"Oh whatever, I don't care. The point is, you are a black, and I am a white. We are like Ying and Yang, completely opposites." Ariel said talking to him but not looking at him.

"I thought Ying and Yang fit perfectly to together, that's why they have the symbol?" Sirius asked more than stated. Sirius stared at her and she could feel those grey eyes burning her down.

"Oh shut up."

"You're only saying that because you know I'm right. Admit it Snowball, you love me really." He whispered in her ear a little too loudly before sitting back and placing his hands behind his head.

"Is there something you would like to share with the class Black?" Sluggy asked him turning away from his demonstration where he was showing the class how to create burn-healing paste. The orange paste Slughorn had created was on the tips of his finger and looked an awful like sick.

"Yes okay Sir. I was just telling Snowball here, that even though she hates me, she loves me really."

"You can tell by the way she looks at him." James added. Professor Slughorn looked at the Marauders a little bewildered. Ariel didn't think he was expecting Sirius to actually tell the class what he had said, let alone it being about this so called affection she had for him. Ariel turned around and glared at James. He shrunk down into his seat.

"Can I just make it clear, that I have no feelings whatsoever for you. You're such a cocky prat, I really hate you and the only reason I put up with you is because of these three boys." She gestured to Wormtail, Moony and Prongs who were sitting behind her.

"That's not what you said last night" Everyone in the class laughed and some people let out a wolf whistle which caused Moony to shudder slightly.

"Well nah shit Sherlock, you had an injured leg and would have probably bled to death last night, so I didn't really have time to say that did I?" Professor Slughorn was finding it hard to get a word in between Sirius' laughs and my yelling but as Ariel said that, Sirius thought she had gone too far. His face dropped and he just glared at her. She had never seen him so angry before, other than when Snivellus did something to piss him off. Prongs kicked her in the leg lightly and she turned around to see him giving her face as if to say 'that's enough now'. He was right, if the conversation went any further, Professor Slughorn would begin to wonder what happened to Sirius, which would be hard to explain, and the only reasonable explanation is that Remus is a werewolf, and the rest of the are illegal unregistered animagi.

"Detention tonight, both of you, eight o'clock sharp." Slughorn said pointing at Sirius and Ariel who had sighed and shrunk back in her chair. "Class dismissed" He finished after the hour was up. Ariel gathered her belonging which was nothing because she didn't have time to pick them up from her dorm because she was late.

"White! Hold up now!" She heard Sirius call after her. She turned around and saw a shaggy haired boy running after her.

"Oh so we are at last names now. That's nice. Start a conversation pissing me off, and then get angry when you don't get your way." She yelled at him. James was the first to catch up with them. He stood next both of them looking from one person to the other. Then Remus stood opposite James on the other side of them. Peter finally appeared jumping up and down, letting his head poke over the shoulder of each of them, trying to see what was going on.

"Ariel, just shut up for a second, alright. You could have let his 'furry little problem' out, and all over a silly little joke." He said pointing at Moony.

"Well I didn't find it very funny. I'm not a whore, unlike you. You have a reputation to withstand and so do I, so I would much prefer it if you didn't stoop me down to you level." She said. Sirius wiped his face with his hands and turned around and started walking away but then turned around with his head slightly tipped back. He then stared at her in the eye, lifting his hand up, pointing it in her direction.

"Stoop to my level, my level. Oh thanks. I thought we were friends Ariel. For once, can't a girl just be fun!"

"Lilly's fun..." James said quietly. Sirius looked at him as if to say 'not the time'. He raised his hands in apology and took a small step back slightly scared of Sirius, seeing the fire build up in his eyes.

"Sirius, I'm so sorry I did whatever I did." Ariel said emotionlessly before turning around and heading to her dorm and getting her books for Defence against the Dark Arts.

"Snowball, get your arse back here right now!" Sirius yelled. She hesitated before she stopped. James noticed her shoulders dropping which probably meant she sighed. She turned on her heel rather slowly. He eyes closed and she peeped one eye open to see how angry Sirius looked, but he didn't look angry, for Sirius, he looked rather calm. When she saw this, she opened the other one to stare at him. She slowly took one step forward and then another, and however many more before she reached Sirius.

"May I help you?" She asked politely.

"Yes you may, you see there's this girl, I really like, she's like a sister to me, but she just has no nice apparent feelings towards me. Can you help me?" The three boys had decided to go grab their books, hopefully grabbing Sirius' and Ariel's too, knowing they would most probably be late...again.

Detention was an absolute nightmare in Ariel's opinion. Professor Slughorn hadn't enough time to prepare a punishment for them so they just sat there for an hour.

Sirius and Ariel had managed to forgive each other, somehow, during the day, so they just sat next to each other playing noughts and crosses on Ariel's hand.

"I can't believe you have never played this before." Ariel whispered as she put a nought in the centre box. She had taught Sirius how to play it, as obviously it was a muggle game, which they ended up replaying, over and over again, because he enjoyed it so much.

"Neither do I, but I wish I had." Sirius said holding Ariel's hand, trying to keep it still so he could draw a cross. "Ha, I win. What's my prize?" Ariel lifted her hand and started stroking her imaginary beard in fake thought.

"Erm...ME!" She whispered loudly.

"Good enough for me." He said patting her head as she blushed. Professor Slughorn exited his office and looked at his two pupils.

"Your hour is up, I expect you not to cause another scene in my class again. Is that understood?" They both nodded at him. "Now off you go." He showed them out of the classroom and they made their way back.

"I'm absolutely shattered..."Ariel said conquering a big yawn. Her eyes were half open, half closed. Sirius turned around and started walking backwards. He stepped in front of her, bent over and grabbed her legs, lifting her onto his shoulder, so her head was facing his back.

"Guess I will just have to carry you then." He said, making his way to the common room. Normally she would put up a fight and try to get down but she simply just flopped over his shoulder and let him carry her.


	3. Chapter 3

"MERRY CHRISTMAS BABE!" Ariel's eyes fluttered open to see a grinning childish face that could only belonged to the one and only, Sirius Black.

"How in hell did I end up here?" She said looking around the room, to find herself on Sirius' bed under the covers.

"Oh, you fell asleep on the chair in the common room and James and I couldn't get you in your room because of the hexes the teachers put on it, so we thought, instead of just chucking you in there, you could sleep on my bed, and I would take Remus'. But then his is the most uncomfortable, so I moved to Peters, and his is so small so I just crashed out with James, who then pushed me on the floor. So in the night when I woke up, I climbed into my bed forgetting you were there."

"I didn't need your life story, Paddy." He pulled a face at her and she returned it before giving a chuckle and climbing on top of his sheets.

Sirius was now sitting on a sleeping James' bed with a bucket of ice ready to pour it on his head. He lifted his finger to his lips and Ariel obeyed his orders, wondering in curiosity, and dying for the laughter it will bring, what James will do to Sirius after he recovers from the blocks of ice. Sirius lifted three finger up and then put one away, and then another. As he did we both yelled at the same time.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS JAMES!" And with that, Sirius poured the blocks of ice over James. He shot up like a rocket and grabbed for his wand. He shook his head from side to side and then his eyes landed on Sirius.

"Oh Padfoot, I'm going to put so many hexes on you, you would feel better if you were dragon shit" He said pouncing up and jumping on Sirius. The both fell to the floor laughing.

"Snowy, help me, I know you love me more than Prongs" Sirius yelped under a James who had put the bucket over his head and pinned him to the floor. Ariel got up walked over to Sirius' head. She knelt down so he looked upside down. She then slid the bucket off of his head and he let out a sigh of relief.

"I knew you loved me" Sirius said with the cheesiest grin any teenage boy could possibly manage.

"Only because I have to" She replied.

"Oh just go out already." James said getting off Sirius, and walking over to the pile of presents at the end of his bed. Sirius and Ariel looked at each other with a confused look on their faces before looking at James.

"Go out?

"What you talking about?

"I am too busy for a relationship."

"Him, he's my friend"

They both muttered under their breaths, slipping out excuses that James really wasn't listening to. He looked at them raised and eye brow before turning back to his pile of present and lifting them with his wand, sending them down to the common room.

"Why don't you just go out with Lilly?" Ariel asked, trying to change the subject off of her, so she didn't have the attention.

"I've tried, I sent her a present and the card says 'Go out with me, Evans?' Why don't you be my wingman, you're close with her? Tell her that I'm not as bad as my reputation puts me out to be." James muttered sending Sirius' and Ariel's presents down with his.

"Yeah, you're worse." Sirius said under his breath. He cracked Ariel a smile, and she stuck her tongue out childishly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" Ariel replied in a high pitched tone while stepping in front of him and making her way down the boy's staircase. James turned around and looked at Sirius who just shrugged his shoulders and followed after her. James just simply shook his head before making his entry into the abandoned common room.

"I hate it when no body's here. Why did everyone go home for the holidays?" Ariel complained taking her seat by the fire, trying to keep warm on the cold winter morning. She saw the three's piles of presents under the Christmas tree and her eyes shone up as she saw one with her name on.

"Shall we open presents before Snowball burst with excitement?" Sirius asked James and he replied with his sophisticated nod as to say, if we didn't, I might just die. "After all, she is a little girl trapped in a sixteen year old girl's body."

"Fifteen." James corrected.

"Sixteen! Her birthdays a week after mine, last season. Do you not remember, she threw her birthday cake at you and you were knocked unconscious?" Sirius asked a now confused James.

"Well obviously he wouldn't, he was unconscious." Ariel laughed at them jumping on the floor next to the tree. "Right, Sirius, James, these are from me." She said handing the boys there present which they both gladly took. James had a Broom compass, a muggle poster of Bambi and a bunch of Liquorice wands and Sugar Quills she was bound to knick later.

"Thanks Snowball. I lost my last Broom compass, and the poster is a nice touch." he said giving her a hug and a peck on the cheek.

Sirius then began to open his. And to his surprise, it was nothing to do with Quidditch. She had given him some Every Flavoured Jell beans, dog shampoo but also a photo of her, James and him all by the water fountain. He had said he liked it because it looked so natural, but this must have been months ago. Ariel was sitting on the edge of the fountain, reading Hogwarts a history, with her feet on James' lap, who was throwing Sirius' snitch up in the air again. Sirius however, was on the floor, his head leaning back on Ariel's leg, eyes closed, as if he was almost drifting off. Ariel was checking to see if he had fallen asleep and then returning back to her book.

"Thanks Snowy." He said leaning over and giving her a hug. He pecked her on the cheek but missed and got the side of her mouth.

"It's alright Snuffles" She said blushing, touching the side of her mouth. James just shook his head at both of them before returning to the rest of the presents. Sirius then gave his out and had given James his usual Quidditch stuff; and James the same for Sirius, except Sirius did get some doggy biscuits, which he was ashamed to buy, but quite happily eat in public.

"Here you go." James and Sirius said handing over a small box with a bow on it. "We got you a joined present." James explained. She eyed both of them, before lifting the lid off of the box and being surprised by a kitten jumping on top of her.

"We realised you didn't have any pets and we saw you adoration towards cats so, decided to get you boots." Sirius gestured towards the black cat that had a white eye and paws, probably explaining the name 'boots'.

"Aww, guys, he is so cute." She looked at the cat in adoration. She had a smile that reached her eyes and before James and Sirius knew what was going on, Ariel had bombarded them with a hug.

She looked at her two friends with a small grin and they both returned it. They continued to open the rest of their presents and then made their way down to the Great Hall for Breakfast. James gave Ariel a piggyback all the way down there.

"I don't understand why you wouldn't get on my back." Sirius said, now having to look up at Ariel.

"She just likes me more." James bragged sticking his tongue out, causing his glasses to slide down his face as he scrunched up his nose. Ariel tried being helpful and lifted them up but ended up poking him in the face too.

"Yeah well she loves me." Sirius boasted.

"You too are such guys!" Ariel sighed. Sirius looked at her and James tried to but could as she was on his back.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Sirius asked politely. Ariel gave him a weak apologetic smile. "No, please do explain Snowball"

"It means you are two very amazing people that I couldn't live without." Ariel smiled sarcastically nodding at Sirius.

They entered the great hall to see a couple of teachers that stayed to look after the kids and hardly any students in the hall. Compared to how it usually looked every morning for breakfast, it looked empty. James plonked Ariel down who sat next to him and opposite Sirius. They started tucking into Breakfast when the owls came. James got his usual letters from his family, Sirius didn't get any from his family, but he did from James'. They all got some from Wormtail and Moony. Ariel surprisingly got one from her parents. She opened it and almost fainted. Her parents never wrote to her, ever. Since her brother died and they blamed her, they never wished her a happy birthday, Merry Christmas, they just couldn't wait to get rid of her, and send her off to Hogwarts.

The letter was nothing important, it was just a simple Merry Christmas, and hope you had a good birthday letter. She was almost convinced that they didn't write it. So she promised, when she got back to the common room she would have to write back to see what's up.

Sirius looked at James. He was holding a letter in his hand and there was a worried look across his face.

"Sirius?" James asked a little worried. Ariel looked up and noticed the distraught look on Sirius' face.

"Andromeda had a child. My Mum, she just got a letter from Aunt Druella. Andromeda had a baby three years ago, and she never told anyone. Not even me." Sirius said with a sad tone. He didn't look at either James or Ariel he just looked at the letter before him. "I'm going home. I'm going to ask Professor McGonagall if I can leave to visit home. She was the only sane person in my family James, and if she's now been disowned, I don't want to be a Black anymore." He said with confidence. He looked up at James and he nodded.

Ariel just stared at the boys that were practically brothers. They were in that together.

Ariel then found another letter and laughed in James' face when she realised who it was from, hoping it would lighten the mood.

"What? What did I do?" He asked her, then he looked at Sirius, and he just shrugged his shoulders before taking a bite of toast. His eyes then lit up as he realised who it was that sent her a letter.

"Merlin's beard, really? Oh you are going to hate her forever!" Sirius said to James. He still looked confused. Ariel kicked Sirius in the leg for giving it away. He looked at her in astonishment as if he really didn't believe she had just done that. He pulled an unhappy face and rubbed his leg. Mouthing 'that hurt' to her. She gave him a cheesy smile before reading the letter out to James.

_"Hey Ariel,_

_It's not even been a week and I'm already missing school. Petunia is driving me insane. She keeps calling me a freak. I wish you were here, and then we could be freaks together._

_I'd invite you over, but now that I think about it, it's kind of short notice. _

_How are you putting up with those bloody brothers? I don't understand how you can put up with them. Especially Potter, he is an absolute nightmare. I know you said he was alright and everything, and that he was an actual decent guy, and I should consider finally saying yes. And believe me when I say, I have thought about it. It's just its...Potter._

_You never know, someday I might miraculously change my mind. _

_Anyway, you may have heard about what happened between me and Snape. After that I can understand why James always hated him. Godric's sword, I just put James, I must be under the weather. _

_Anyway, I will see you soon. I can't wait to get back to school. We have to go shopping in Hogsmeade together again, because that was just an epic day. _

_Lots of love_

_Lils xx"_

Ariel finished. Looking at James whose face was smiling.

"She's warming up to me" He said with a grin. Ariel and Sirius waited for the anger to come along. "Hang on a sec..." James paused. Sirius and Ariel looked at each other thinking the exact thing. 'Oh Merlin'. "You've known her a term and she sends you a letter, and your best friends. I've known her nearly five years and she doesn't even give me a smile!" He raged. Ariel looked at James with the most sarcastic outraged look on her face, and then turned to Sirius who was doing the same. They both saw each other and burst out laughing.

James folded his arms in a strop and huffed like a twelve year old. Ariel and Sirius continued to laugh and it echoed around the hall and caused attention from the few people there. Most of which were being quiet.

"Fine, don't listen to my love life issues, just laugh at with each other and pretend there's nothing else going on between you two." Sirius and Ariel stopped laughing immediately and looked at James.

"What is your problem?" Ariel asked

"Aww, Snowy, trying to hide her affection for Paddy?" James cooed as if he were talking to a baby. Ariel punched him in the arm and his grin fell off his face as he rubbed his arm where she punched him.

"James, just stop with the jokes!" She half-heartedly yelled at him. He let out a laugh. "I'm serious."

"No I'm Sirius." Sirius laughed. She glared at the both of them.

"There not jokes Snowball." James said finally after he stopped laughing. She caught Sirius' eye, and she wished she hadn't as she was lost in its stormy colour.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you freaking kidding me, you whore?" Lilly yelled at Ariel as they walked down Hogsmeade.

"Hey" Ariel whined even though she knew Lilly didn't mean it. They headed towards the castle and decided to walk back there.

"Sorry, but are you kidding me? There is no way in hell I am letting you go out with him, because then that will just make Sirius help James more so he didn't feel left out when you were with him." Lilly complained, but they both knew she was just being a dramatic queen and truthfully didn't care. Although, Ariel was kind of shocked because Lilly had started using their first names.

Ariel had just told Lilly the whole story of what happened on Christmas day and James' side comments, and Sirius not defending himself, but Lilly being herself, had jumped to conclusions.

"Lilly, chill out. They are both at Sirius' house at the moment anyway. He's running away, and James said he was welcome at the Potter's. His family disowned Andromeda, his cousin, and that was his only cousin he liked, so he decided that he had enough of his crazy family, I don't know, but something's not right with his family. The way he never talks about them. It just seems strange." Ariel explained.

"Well you're one to talk; you don't talk about your family." Lilly shot at her. Ariel sighed; this was true.

"It's different; my parents have basically already disowned me." Ariel muttered.

"I thought your parents were muggles, how can they disown you?" Lilly asked, fiddling with her red fiery hair, in between her fingers. Ariel looked at her and she knew that Lilly was trying to find out the truth. Her green eyes sent out sympathy to her and she sighed.

"Well there's no point hiding it forever." Ariel muttered, and so she began. "Basically when I was eleven, I got a letter for Hogwarts; my parents understood and decided to let me go. So my father took me to Diagon Alley. My little brother wanted to come and I decided to let him. We went to get everything I needed and then we went into Ollivanders. My father went to Gringotts to get a little more money out, so it was just me and my brother. I picked up a wand that had a negative energy towards me, causing the nearest living thing to explode, my brother. My father came back and saw his dead body on the floor and ever since they hated me. They said I couldn't go to Hogwarts, so we moved to France but then Beauxbatons took me in and eventually they realised I was forever going to be a witch. We finally moved back here, and they still have never forgiven me. I'm waiting, and waiting as the years go by, hoping that one day, something will change, but it never does. I know they would prefer it if I just left, so that's what I will do, eventually, I will grab all my things and leave, knowing they will never want to see me again. It's life though; I just have to suck it up." Ariel said with no emotion in her tone. Lilly had an outraged look on her face.

"Oh Ariel..." She said.

"No, I don't want your pity. It's been five years, and I know it wasn't my fault. Bad things happen to people, that doesn't mean they are bad people." Ariel said shrugging her shoulders. "I'm over it."

"No, I don't agree with the stupid Black family rules. Maybe I don't want to marry a pure blood. Maybe I don't want to be a Slytherine. I'm ashamed to be a part of this family." Sirius yelled at his mother. Regulus took a step towards Sirius. "No, Regulus. I'm tired of being compared to you. You have always wanted to be an only child, well now you can." Sirius turned to his mother. "You traditions are sick, the way you treat other people is appalling, and you're not fucking royalty. In my opinion you have more bad blood in you then any muggle born." Sirius yelled, he picked up his bag and headed towards the door, where he knew James would be waiting for him on the other side. This is what made him the outcast of his family, his Gryffindor bravery was shining through him, and was the only reason why he was capable of leaving his family.

"What brought this up son?" His father asked him.

"Andromeda, Ted and Nymphadora" He said, telling half of the truth.

"They put you up to this?" His mother screamed. He turned around with sickening look on his face.

"No they didn't. They made me see the light. Andromeda was the only sane person in this family, and you fucking disowned her. Now that she is gone, I don't want to be a part of this family anymore." He said. "I can now do whatever I want, talk to whoever I want, love whoever I want to love."

"Love? What's this all about love?" Regulus asked "If I knew you any better I would have thought-" He stopped half way through sentence after realising what he was about to say.

"Sirius, how could you?" His mother cried.

"You are no son of mine, boy!" His father yelled in astonishment. "Get out, get out of my house. You are no longer welcome here!" Sirius sighed and made his way out the house. As he reached the door he turned around and saw his mother sobbing and his father's furious face. But Regulus just stood there frozen. His face was speechless. Sirius gave him a small brotherly smile before exiting his once use to be home.

"Hey Snowball. Miss me?" Ariel, who was sitting on Sirius' bed, talking to Remus and Peter about the new transfiguration homework, turned around to see a smirking Sirius with a laughing James behind him.

"SIRIUS!" She yelled, jumping off his bed and running towards him to give him a hug.

"I'll take that as a yes." He smirked. She didn't let go of him.

"Are you okay? I was so worried. Are you staying with Prongs? Did you just leave?" Ariel flooded him with questions. He separated himself from her and put his hands on her shoulder. Her prominent eyes stared down his cloudy ones.

"Ariel, calm down. Everything's fine, I moved in with Prongs, McGonagall gave me enough time to get my family 'issues' sorted out." Sirius said. She nodded and he gave her a smile. "Come here." He opened up his arms and pulled her into a hug. "You're more distraught then I am." He chuckled.

"Shut up." Ariel dug her face into his chest and muttered into him. She pulled away to see an open armed James standing behind Sirius. He had a smile on his face and was ushering her to come into his welcome back hug. "Can I help you?" Ariel asked James with a confused look.

"Well where's my welcome back hug?" James asked with puppy eyes and furrowed his eyebrows. Ariel fussed her way over to James and started talking in a baby voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry Jamie. I forgot the baby of the group likes all the fuss." Ariel said giving him a smile and then stroking his hair out of place, which he then fretted over to put back into place.

"You know he's really not that bad." Ariel whispered across to Lilly during their Transfiguration class. Professor McGonagall was preparing everyone for their O.W.L.S that where next month.

"Who?" Lilly mouthed to her. Ariel motioned her head over to a studying dark haired boy. Lilly looked behind her to see the one and only James Potter. He had his head down and his quill scurrying away on his parchment. Strangely Sirius, Lupin and James were all top class student, even though they did disrupt the lesson, all the time. Peter though, did struggle.

Lilly shook her head with wide convincing eyes but Ariel gave a pouting look with puppy dog eyes. Lilly shook her head again. Ariel pulled a face.

"I told him I'd help. He really likes you." Ariel muttered quietly. Lilly opened her mouth but was cut off by a stern looking Professor McGonagall.

"Evan's, White. I'm sure whatever it is you are talking about can wait until after class. It can't be as important as passing your O.W.L.S, now can it?" She said causing Lilly and Ariel to shrink back into their chairs. "Right now..." She carried on, and Lilly and Ariel started jotting down notes on their parchments and eventually the class ended.

"Why not?" Ariel asked Lilly as she pulled her books closer towards her and they made their way to lunch with the wave of students surrounding them.

"I've been sure about not dating James ever since I was eleven, and I'm pretty sure this one conversation is not going to change anything after five years. It's inevitable whatever you do." Lilly clarified.

"Just give it a go." Ariel whined. A hand grabbed hold of her waist and pulled her into another body and there was a grinning face right next to her when she turned to see who had taken a grasp of her.

"Give what a go?" Sirius asked.

"Err, nothing...?" She stuttered unconvincingly.

"Yeah, I'm going to go now." Lilly said pointing her finger to anywhere but near Sirius and Ariel. She walked away and found her way through the crowd to some other girls in Gryffindor.

"So, you going to keep that hand around my waist or is it going to go back into your pocket?" Ariel asked Sirius who was smirking down at her.

"Depends" He replied.

"Depends on what?" She asked.

"Whether you want it there or not." Sirius said cheekily. They made their way to the Great Hall and walked up to James, Peter and Remus who were digging into their traditional Friday fish and chips with a cup of pumpkin juice.

"Finally." James yelled, standing up, raising his hands and giving a singular round of applause causing a lot of unwanted attention. Ariel blushed scarlet and sat down next to Peter. Sirius sat down next to her with the largest grin on his face Ariel had ever seen.

"What?" Ariel asked as James sat down glaring at everyone who had given him disgusted looks, particularly Lucius Malfoy and his girlfriend Narcissa Black. He turned his attention towards Ariel and Sirius.

"Before you say anything Prongs, I wouldn't jump to conclusions." Remus cut in before James could let the words flow out of his open mouth.

"I think it's too late for that." Peter laughed taking mouthful of pumpkin juice and nearly choking.

"Moony, Wormtail, shut up, let the happy couple tell us how it happened." James hushed them, and crossed his arms and leaned forward on the table with his eyes open wide looking at Sirius and Ariel for the story.

"What? How did what happen?" Ariel asked confused.

"Well, you know..." James started, but was cut off my Remus hitting his over the back of the head and giving him a glare. "Why did you do that? That's just mean." He said looking at Remus who just glared at him trying to tell him something through his eyes. "You mean they're not?" James said a little disappointed, and Remus just nodded his head before turning back to a now hysterical Sirius.

"I fooled you Prongs." He said, but then when he saw James' face his smile dimmed slightly. "April fools?" He said slightly apologetically with a sheepish smile. James had a death glare on his face.

"How does that work, It's December?" Ariel muttered, looking at Remus, who just shrugged his shoulder and looked back down on his plate that had one last chip on it.

"Oh, I'm going to kill you Black." James hissed. Now thankfully for Sirius, he was on the other side of the table so when James lunged forward he could just get up and run out of the Great Hall like a terrified little girl he was. James followed him and the last three Marauders, sighed before heaving themselves up and off the table to go and find the moron twins.

"Moony?" Ariel whined, as passed through the Great Hall's doors. Remus looked at Ariel as she linked her arm through his and made their way down to the lake where they were bound to find a playful duel between Sirius and James. Peter, who was reluctant to leave his lunch followed behind them. "What was that all about?" Ariel asked.

"Nothing for you to worry about Snowball." Remus was like her older brother, even though she was the second oldest out of the Marauders, Sirius being first, Remus had that older brotherly love. James however, was the mischievous cheeky, little so and so that loved to tease her and run around and play games. Much like a younger brother. She hadn't quite pinpointed Sirius yet, but she knew that Peter, to her, was just another person who happened to be there.

"Moony!" Ariel pleaded.

"Fine, Padfoot–" Remus started but Ariel didn't hear the rest of the sentence and never would as a panting dark haired boy came running up to the three Marauders, glaring at Remus as if he could kill him.

"Padfoot what, Moony?" Sirius asked in a tone as if to say 'if you dare finish that sentence I will murder you with my bare hands.' James came running up towards them looking curiously at them all. Ariel just stared at them all in confusion wanting to know what was going on, and what they knew that she didn't.

"Nothing..." Remus said. Ariel unlinked her arm from Remus' and pulled a frustrated look before scowling at James' who was starting to smile.

"Look, I'm fed up with all this secrecy, I have no idea what you bitches are hiding from me, but it's starting to piss me off, and I don't like being left in the dark, so you better tell me what the fuck it is your keeping from me, before I personally remove your balls from their sack!" Ariel threatened in an aggressive tone that made them all take a step back away from her. She looked at Peter, who looked at Remus who looked at James who looked at Sirius who was looking at her. Then everyone's gaze turned to Sirius' and he felt uncomfortable as he raised his hands in defence, shaking his head and taking yet another step back. It was silent for about two minutes as all four boys cowardly said nothing.

"Oh, what real men you are." Ariel said sarcastically before storming off back to the castle. As she reached the castle she looked behind her to see James complaining at Sirius and Remus nodding his head approving what James was saying. Then there was Peter who was adding a few comments, showing his view of whatever they were talking about. Sirius kept jumping back with excuses and was pointing and James and yelling. Ariel turned her back on them with a sigh.

"Boys." She muttered before making her way to the common room to drop of her belongings.

"I don't care Padfoot, I'm tired of having to cover for you when you let something slip, just tell her already!" James yelled at Sirius.

"But I –"

"Prongs is right, Paddy. She's one of us now, and we can't keep lying to her, it's not fair on us, or her." Remus said nodding in agreement with James.

"Why is it me, you're the one with this huge colossal love problem with Evan's. Why are you suddenly all interested in me, it's a crush, it will pass." Sirius reasoned.

"It doesn't seem like a crush if you ask me." Peter squeaked. Sirius looked at him just about to mention that no one had asked him but James had grabbed a hold of his shoulder and he turned his head to look at his brother. The dark haired boy, with his charming good looks, looked through his circular glasses at his best friend.

"Sirius, he's right. This has got way past a crush, I mean, look what happened with your family. You can't turn around and tell me that was all just because of Andromeda." Sirius sighed at James. He never called him by his first name.

"Okay, I'll tell her." Sirius nodded. James face rose into a smile.

"Right, you go do that, I'm going to ask Lilly out again, I haven't done it today." He said giving Sirius another smile. He returned the gesture and the four founder Marauders walked up to the castle.

"He's doing what?" Lilly screamed at James who was standing there impatiently.

"I told you, he's telling Snowball, I mean Ariel that he likes her, now –" He was cut off by Lilly practically jumping at him with a hug. He was frozen in shock that he almost didn't wrap his arms around her. She pulled away with a grinning face and looked at him.

"It's about time isn't it?" Lilly said to James who just stood there like a melon. His whole body was frozen as if he couldn't believe what had just happened. Lilly Evans had willingly, voluntarily hugged him. He had a grin that reached his eyes, and Lilly started waving her hand in front of him checking to see if he was still there. He blinked before looking down to see her.

"Erm, yeah, I finally convinced him to just tell her." He said a little bit more aware of his surroundings.

"Oh James your brilliant!" She exclaimed pecking him on the cheek.

"Lilly will you go out with me?" He asked a little shaken at the thought of Lilly Evan's just kissing him on the cheek.

"No." She said skipping off happily to Potions.

James stood there with the rush of people around him and sighed before laughing to himself and heading off in the direction Lilly had gone, making his way to his next Potion's class.

"Snowball." A hand grabbed Ariel's arm and caused her to come to a halt. She turned around and saw Sirius who was giving a polite smile.

"Yeah?" she asked. Sirius said nothing but just dragged her out of the moving crowd of students that was crashing in all different directions. But he didn't stop; he pulled her along until they made their way back down to the lake. "Snuffles, where are you taking me?" She asked following him willingly.

"I don't really know." He said shrugging as they reached the edge of the forbidden forest. He sat down at the trunk of a tree, hiding in the shade, unable to be seen from the castle, but with a nice view of the lake. Ariel took a seat next to him.

"We are going to miss Potions." Ariel said a little worried.

"Believe me when I say, that's a good thing. It doesn't matter anyway; you are like top of the class after Lilly any way. Seriously that girl knows everything!" Ariel gave him a look as if to say 'really?' "I'm serious!" He said and then they both started laughing.

"I know you are, honey." She said patting his head with a smile. His eyes lit up slightly as they smiled at each other. "Is there any reason of captivating me and bringing me to the edge of the forbidden forest?"

"Oh, I'm captivating you, am I?" He cocked a smile and she laughed in embarrassment. He sighed as if to inform her that he would let it pass. They just sat there and looked up at the enchanting castle. Ten minutes must have passed before they realised the grey clouds over their heads.

"Come on, we should probably get inside before it tips it down." Sirius said standing up and then lifting a very sleepy Ariel up.

"I was beginning to get comfortable." She complained as she brushed off the leaves on her robes. He sighed and they began to walk towards the castle, and he was right, it started to tip it down. Ariel screamed and laughed and so did Sirius as they ran towards the castle.

Ariel stopped abruptly, causing Sirius to turn around and look at her. Her beautiful curls had turned into waved because of the dripping wet rain soaking it. She was squinting, trying to resist the rain from getting in her eyes. Her robes looked like they were drowning her, and Sirius couldn't possibly think of a reason why she would stop dead in the middle of a field in the pouring rain.

"You didn't tell me why we came down here." She said. Sirius let out a small laugh.

"I hardly think this is the time or the place." He said looking form her up into the sky at the rain falling on his face.

"Tell me." She said still wanting to know. He looked at her and then around him. He sighed and then took a few steps closer to her. His face was inches from hers and they both knew what he was about to do as he leaned in.

"Sirius – " Ariel whispered.

"You're ruining the moment." He said. She cracked a smile and felt his lips crash down on hers.


	5. Chapter 5

Ariel was sitting in the common room, on the floor with parchments sprawled all around her, a quill in hand and a pot of ink on the coffee table next to her. Her hair was tied up behind her in a messy bun, which was unusual as she always had her locks down.

Sirius made his way over to her and crouched down behind her. She was unaware of the charming boy standing behind her until he pecked her on the cheek.

"Hello." She said turning her head so she was looking at the grinning boy behind her.

"What ya doing?" He said in a childlike tone. She looked from him to the parchment in front of her.

"The Astronomy homework." She said looking back at him and his smile fell and his eyes widened. She let a laugh out at his distress.

"What do we have to do exactly?" He asked cheekily.

"Write an essay about Jupiter's moons, such as Europa and Lo, two parchments long, lots of facts and has to be interesting. Also, we have to finish our star chart." She said and his face looked unbelievably worried. "I can help you if you want, I'm nearly finished."

She was thanked with a big kiss on the lips. She laughed at his sudden enthusiasm, looked at him as he stood up and towered over her.

"My dorm, five minutes?" He asked, and she nodded in agreement. He ran off up the stairs and dashed into the boys dormitories.

Ariel collected her now finished essay and rolled it up with the star chart. She then placed her quill in her mouth, picked up her ink and carried her belongings up to Sirius' room. As she reached the door, she noticed how it was closed, but with no hands free, she banged her head on the wooden door. Almost immediately it opened, and there stood James just about to walk out, almost bumping into her.

"Paddy, your bird's here." He called back into the room before turning back to Ariel and giving her a smile.

"Iamdsnotracorl, siamaarficocs" She said. James looked at her and burst out into laughter before taking the quill out of her mouth to hear what she had actually said. "I am not a bird, I am an Artic Fox!" She said a lot more clearly. James looked at her a little shocked.

"That's what you said? I thought you said, 'llama's not cool, Siamese are fictional' not that that makes any sense either, but you know, least they were words." He said shrugging his shoulders before squeezing past her to head down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" She couldn't help but ask as she watched him take the first step of the stairs.

"I haven't asked Lilly out this week and it's already Tuesday evening, so..." He said a little worriedly. Ariel laughed at this but stopped him before he could take another step.

"Oh no, a whole two days without knowing if she said yes." She waved her arms about in sarcasm, laughing to herself, but James did not look amused at all. "Still no luck then?" She asked, a little less hysterical now.

"Nah, but I did get a peck on the lips on New Year's, forgot to tell you about that, you were too busy worrying about Sirius, and his family. But anyway, I must be doing something right." He said grinning before running down the stairs excitedly, throwing her quill at her.

Ariel sighed as she watched it fall to the floor. She bent down, put the pot on the floor, put the quill back in her mouth and picked the pot up before returning to the door which was now open, so she walked in.

There was Sirius, sitting on the floor looking at a roll of parchment. She smiled at his exhausted look, and his furrowed eyebrows. He turned his head and saw her in the door way. He relaxed slightly and just stared at her.

"Are you seriously telling me that you didn't know Jupiter had 67 moons?" Ariel asked Sirius in pure shock. She was lying on her stomach with her knees bent so her feet were swaying about behind her, her elbows supporting her at her front. Sirius, however, was practically lying down, but just had his head propped up on his trunk. He looked at her and shook his head thinking nothing of it. Ariel folded her arms on the wooden floor and buried her head in her arms.

"What?" Sirius asked. "I only knew about the Galilean moons. Are you telling me I have to write about sixty seven different moons?" His voice sounded outraged and panicked. Ariel laughed and rolled over onto her back. She had just about survived getting him through the rest of his Star chart, and to her surprise he knew pretty much all of it, so they moved onto the essay, and she had started with the basics, which didn't seem so basic anymore. She had managed to squeeze a roll of parchment out of him so far, but then he had asked how many planets Jupiter had.

"No, you prat, just the Galilean moons and do you know their names?" She said in the most baby like tone she could pull off, trying to make him sound as stupid as ever. He raised an eyebrow, not that she could see him on her back. He got on his knees and crawled over to her head, so his head was over hers.

"Europa, Lo, Ganymede and Callisto!" He said with a smirk on his face. He then bent down and kissed her softly on the lips.

"And so children, this is how the whole process of the baby making cycle starts." James voice echoed through the room from the door. There were three male voices laughing and Ariel and Sirius broke away to see the three other Marauders in the doorway. Ariel blushed slightly, and bit her lip, trying to hold back a smile. Sirius just drew a toothy smile at his friends.

"James, were older than you, so technically you're the child, and we should be giving you this conversation." Remus said ruffling his hair, treating him like a child before entering the room. "Anyway guys, you've been up here for hours, have you finished yet?" Sirius shook his head moving away from Ariel and sitting back on the floor, leaning himself against his trunk. Remus let out a grunt and just jumped on his bed with his face in his pillow. Peter scurried off to his bed and sat on the edge carefully. Ariel sat up and used her hands as support behind her.

"Any luck with Lilly yet?" Ariel asked James who was prancing over Ariel's legs like a ballerina. He stopped in between her legs, looked at her and shook his head, before leaping over her right leg. The guy was a weirdo but she loved him.

"Any day now, she is going to give in." He said positively, before leaping over her legs for the last time and then jumping on his bed.

"FINISHED!" Sirius yelled throwing his quill up in the air. Ariel extended her hand out and Sirius passed over his completed essay. She began to read it while one by one, each boy made their way into the bathroom and got changed. Remus was first and came back in just his pyjama bottoms before sliding into bed and grabbing a book to read. Peter went in the bathroom, and came back just to jump on his bed and fall asleep, snoring loudly. James then made his way in, and by this time Ariel was nearly finished reading it.

"Well done Snuffles." She said to him handing back over the paper to him. "By the way, you spelt your name wrong at the bottom." She said jumping on his bed next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. She watched him correct himself. She could see the grin on his face.

"Better?" He asked with a bit of sarcasm. She gave him a sarcastic smile and nodded her head up and down.

James came back in the room shirtless, and laughed at the expression on Ariel's face.

"Maybe, you should go ask Lilly out now, Prongs." He shrugged his shoulders and walked out of the room and down the stairs. The three awake Marauders laughed as they heard a lot of girl's giggles, sighs and excited squeals.

James came walked up the stairs casually and sat on his bed staring at the ceiling. Everyone looked at him waiting to hear what happened but he didn't seem to notice everyone else's awareness.

"Well?" Sirius said as if he shouldn't have really needed to ask.

"Oh, yeah she wasn't down there so Mary, I think it's Mary, went to go get her and she will be here in a minute." And as he said it, there was a knock on the door and in walked Lilly Evans.

"He Ariel." She said looking at Ariel. "Why was I summoned here and who by?" Everyone couldn't believe she hadn't guessed but considering, James bed was behind Sirius' she probably couldn't see James behind Sirius and Ariel, but as soon as he stood up she did. And like always she sighed.

"Hey Evans."

"Potter."

That was it, they just stood there, staring at each other, and Ariel was pretty sure she saw Lilly's eyes flicker to James' torso more than once.

"Well?" Lilly finally asked. James stepped forward and grabbed her by the arms and kept a hold of her. She pulled and tugged and moaned but he wouldn't let go.

"James, stop it, please let go."

"Only if you go out with me, Evans" He said using his well-known catchphrase.

"Fine." She said and his eyes lit up and everyone else did in shock too. His grip loosened on her arms, loose enough for to escape free.

"Really?" He asked, not quite sure whether to believe her or not.

"No." She said walking away, she stopped at the door, and looked at Ariel. "You coming up or what?" She asked Ariel.

"Err, yeah in a minute." She replied. She looked at James who looked rather let down until Lilly turned back around and said something they weren't at all expecting.

"Maybe next year. Nice torso." She smiled and left. Everyone's mouths dropped over and just stared at where she had been just a few seconds ago. Ariel was the first to move. She turned her head and looked at Sirius who looked as if he shouldn't believe it. She then stood up to see Remus book had fallen on the floor and he was covering his mouth with his hands. She walked over to James who looked so shocked he could have fainted.

"James?" She asked cautiously. No one did anything or said anything. "Prongs...?" she asked poking him in the shoulder. Still no reply. She waved her hand in front of him; he didn't even blink. "Jamie!" she slapped him around the face and he blinked, looked at her with a confused look on his face holding a hand to his cheek.

"Guys, I just had a day dream that Lilly said she maybe she'd go out with me next year, and that she liked my torso." James said completely dazed. Sirius let out a small laugh.

"That wasn't a day dream mate. That was reality." Sirius said, getting up and patting him on the shoulder, before walking over the Ariel and sliding his arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him. She placed her head on his shoulder and smiled at how perfect it felt.

"Ah, I need to lie down." James said, jumping on his bed.

"Me too, I should probably be going to bed now." She said to the three boys over Peters snoring.

"Don't go." Sirius whined, gripping his other hand on the other side of her waist so she was facing him. "Please?" Ariel widened her eyes as the magical words came out of Sirius' mouth. He gave a cheeky smile and she shook her head in dismay.

"Snuffles, its Eleven o'clock, and we have school tomorrow." She moaned, but that didn't stop him.

"Just sleep in here." Sirius said. Ariel looked at Remus who didn't really look bothered, James had stuck a thumbs up and Sirius was looking at her with a pleading smile.

"If we get caught, Professor McGonagall is going to kill us. So if we do get caught, I'm telling her you held me hostage." She said with a sigh.

"Is that a yes?" Sirius asked, lowering his so he was eye level with her. She gave him a smile that she tried to hide her excitement behind, but it showed through her eyes. It was the look he had always told her she gave to him; the one he absolutely loved. Not needing her to answer, he picked her up and spun her around, planting a kiss on her lips.

"Okay, but Snowball, if you're staying in here, you need to know that nothing is going to be happening." James said, looking at them, and pointing from her to Sirius. She gave an outraged look as if he could possibly assume that they would get up to something, especially with them in the room. "Well you never know." He said as if he just read her mind. She gave him her signature eye roll before turning to Sirius who had summoned her something to sleep in.

"These aren't my pyjama's" She said to him as he handed her one of his tops. He didn't say anything, so she just took it and walked into the bathroom and took off her robes, and put Sirius top over her underwear. Normally, she would have a shower, but she wasn't taking any chances in here, this was a boy's bathroom' she would just have to have one in the morning. She picked up her robes, walked out of the bathroom. James, Sirius, and Remus, all gawked at her surprisingly long tanned legs.

"What?" She asked as she walked over to Sirius who put her robes on his trunk. Remus, all red, hid himself behind his book and James buried his head in his pillow. She heard muffled screams of 'Why Merlin, Why did you do this to me.' Which she happily laughed at, but unfortunately, she had a pillow thrown in her direction and only narrowly missed it. She picked it up and threw it back to James.

"James, you're getting the gist of being a girl, pillow fights, what next, a vagina?" Everyone couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

Ariel smiled at Sirius who then decided to pick her up, and chuck her on his bed. She couldn't quite believe it, but he had literally thrown her onto his bed. He gave her a grin as he was the last to enter the bathroom. She slid under his covers and with a wave of her wand, closed the door that entered the Marauder's room that was one of the boys many dormitories.

Suddenly the lights went off and Ariel couldn't see anything. She felt a tug on the covers and then another body slid in next to hers. She turned her head and saw a very dark figure that looked a lot like Sirius. As her eye's adjusted to the lack of light, she could see the smile on his face. He kissed her on the forehead, and brought her into his embrace. She rested her head on his chest and fluttered her eyes closed.

"Ariel! You better go to Professor McGonagall's room; she's wants to talk to you, Sirius and James. She looked mad." She fluttered her eyes open to see a distraught looking Peter. Remus and Peter were both in their robes. She sat up in her bed to see a sleeping Sirius and James.

"Oh shit." She muttered.

"We have to get to class, but we'll see you at Lunch." Remus said with a nod. Ariel looked at them confused.

"How did-?" She asked but didn't manage to finish.

"You Transfiguration, break just finished. We assumed you'd be down for Breakfast, but when you didn't come, we were going to go up, but we bumped into Hagrid, who offered to walk us to class. He then started going off about flobber worms." Peter squeaked like the mouse he was. He then scurried out of the classroom, and Remus sighed.

"Will you be alright?" He asked with a concerned look on his face. She nodded with a smile trying to reassure him everything would be fine. "Okay," he said unsurely, then walked away towards the door. He then turned around. "Just prod them with a stick or something and they will revive from the dead." He said before exiting. She laughed, and actually did prod them both with a stick, and like Remus had said, they revived from the dead. Both of them had roll out of bed hair dos, eyes half open.

"Erm, Break just finished, we missed lessons, and now, Professor McGonagall wants to see us in her room. Apparently she is really mad." Ariel said, shrugging her shoulders at their confused looks.

"We better get going then. You know what Gonnie is like when she gets mad Jamie." Sirius, said in a sleepy baby voice. He got up and walked into the bathroom, calling first dibs.

James had fallen back asleep while Sirius was in the shower. So Ariel decided, what better time to make James look like a complete idiot. She jumped on him and he still didn't wake up. So she grabbed her wand and squirted black ink out of the end of it, drawing a moustache on his face, with a beard, and circle around his eye, imitating a molecule. And that was just the time when Sirius decided to walk in. He gave her a funny look, wondering what the hell she was doing on top of a sleeping James and then when he saw the moustache he laughed.

"Are you going to...?" He asked, gesturing towards the bathroom.

"Err, might as well; saves me going upstairs." She said making her way to the bathroom. "Accio robes." She summoned her clean robes that were in her room, and they came flying into the boy's room, nearly flying into Sirius' face, but went past Ariel and placed themselves neatly on the floor by the shower. She closed the door and locked it. Then made sure it was locked. And then, being her paranoid self, checked to see if it was locked once more. Then she stripped her clothes and jumped into the shower. She tried her best to make her hair avoid the warm water, but the ends caught the rain falling from the shower head. After she was done, she slipped out of the shower and dried herself off before pulling on her robes. She then left the bathroom, to see James still half asleep on his bed.

"James, you have three seconds to get up and get in the bathroom, or we are dragging you to McGonagall's room like that." Ariel said looking at him. Three seconds went by and he didn't move, so Sirius just grabbed his legs and dragged him off his bed. There was a loud crash as James hit the floor.

"Ah, Lord shall go suck my –" And so James continued to scream bloody murder. Sirius was laughing so hard that he let go of James' legs. "Damn that pigeon who had a shit on my crotch!" Ariel looked at James laughing so hard that the confusion on her face was barely noticeable.

"What...the...hell?" She asked in between laughs, but she would never know as James just got up and angrily put his robes on over his pyjama bottoms, obviously forgetting he had them on. They then made their way to Professor McGonagall's room, with James still constantly cursing every name and thing under the sun.

They then reached the doors and looked at one another. Ariel, who was in between the boys, took a step forward and twisted the handle and pushed the door open. She entered the room and Sirius and James followed. Professor McGonagall, sat at her desk, quill in hand, marking away mock O.W.L.S. Her head rose to look at the three trouble makers enter the classroom. She had that same stern look on her face, with that same terrifying frown on her lips, and her hair was in the same tight bun. Nothing was much different.

Ariel made her way down the aisle a little more confidently then the boys. She reached the front row of the desks that were meant for the students of Hogwarts School. Ariel jumped up on it and let her legs swing by, unable to touch the ground.

"What's up Gonagall?" She said casually, which surprised both Sirius and James, but not the Professor.

"As I say every time you come in here White, the table are meant for parchment and ink to rest on, not your arse." Sirius and James looked taken aback as Professor McGonagall swore.

"Aw, but you know me, my bum just loves these tables."

"Ariel, how many detentions do I have to give to you before you start behaving like a responsible student." The Professor McGonagall asked as if this conversation was one she had had before.

"The truth is Professor, I am responsible, it's just, I choose not to show it." Ariel said nodding with a cocky grin.

"We will continue this conversation in detention this evening Miss White. Now please, behave, and take a seat, we have many issues to discuss." She said looking at the all three of her students now. "On a chair, Miss White." Ariel jumped off the table and pulled a chair out and plonked herself down on it, raising her feet up on the chair next to her, much to Professor McGonagall's annoyance.

James and Sirius took a seat, a little shocked at Ariel's behaviour towards Professor McGonagall. They knew she was the one that usually gave Ariel detentions, but they never realised just how many.

"First, I would just like to say, that there is a reason why there a separate boys and girls dormitories. So please, sleep where you are meant to Miss White." She said giving her a glare.

"Hey, that's not fair Professor, they held me hostage." Ariel complained, using the excuse she said she would if they got caught. Sirius and James glared at her with disbelief, and then shook their heads ashamed of themselves on how they hadn't seen this coming.

"You expect me to believe that two teenage boys took you and kept you in their room for the whole night?" Professor McGonagall said. Ariel almost laughed at this; how could you not believe her?

"Yes." She said nodding wide eyed, with her patronising look of hers. Sirius let out a laugh and shook his head once more, not even trying to defend himself.

"Detention this evening, Mr Potter and Mr Black." She said clearing up the first topic.

"Anyway, on to another subject, Sirius, do you feel comfortable about me talking over family issues in front of your friends?" Professor McGonagall asked, addressing Sirius. He laughed at her question as if to think it was an idiotic one.

"Are you serious?" Ariel was about to say that McGonagall couldn't be Sirius as he was, but thought better of it, and let Sirius continue. "This douche here is practically my brother, and she my girlfriend, let the shit spread for itself." He said and immediately regretted it as McGonagall gave him a very stern annoyed look.

"Well, it seems after you left, your Uncle Alphard has left you a generous amount of money at his bequest." Sirius' face, Ariel noticed, froze. This meant his Uncle would be disowned too from his family, for helping a muggle lover. He would be considered a traitor. No one said anything, and when McGonagall noticed that nothing would be said she decided to say the figure that was left to him and he almost fainted.

"Sirius, I know you're now financially independent, but please don't leave me." James cried, which made Ariel laugh at his begging.

"That's what I was going to say Mr Black, now you have all this money in Gringotts, I would suggest still staying with the Potters, as you are still have the trace on you, meaning that living alone before seventeen would be pure idiocy." Professor McGonagall stated.

"Who said I was leaving?" Sirius said coming out of his trance, with a huge smile on his face. James, as if he was a little girl, jumped on Sirius and gave him the biggest hug.

"You are such girls, you know that right?" Ariel said looking at them in amusement as the held each other in embrace. They both glared at her but she just brushed it off with a sigh. "Anyway, anything else, because I think if I miss another Astronomy lesson, I'm going to have a clash in detentions." Ariel said looking at Professor McGonagall.

"You need not worry about classes to Miss White." She said sadly. Ariel could tell this wasn't going to be some silly little announcement, this was important.

"We must make our way up to Professor Dumbledore. He will be ready for us now." She stood up from behind her desk and walked around it towards her door. James followed, and Sirius grabbed a hold of Ariel's hand, and helped her along through the corridors.

When they reached the Gargoyle that led to the Headmasters office, Sirius gave Ariel's hand a tight squeeze.

"Cockroach Clusters." Professor McGonagall muttered the password. They all then made their way to Professor McGonagall. Sirius hoped to Merlin, he would not see former Headmaster Phineas Black's portrait, as he was sure he would be aware of Sirius' disloyalty to the Black family name.

As they entered the Headmaster's office, they found Dumbledore pacing. He stopped and turned his head when he noticed they were there.

"Please, sit." He gestured towards the chairs. He then took his own seat, encouraging the three students to sit down. Professor McGonagall just stood by the Headmasters desk.

"Sir, what's going on?" Ariel asked, even though she wasn't quite sure she wanted to know. She held Sirius' hand a little more tightly, and was almost sure that it was going to be bad news. The suspense built as they all stared at the grey haired old man peering through his half-moon spectacles at them.

"Something, Miss White, I wish I didn't have to tell you." They all looked at him becoming slightly angry as he wouldn't slip it out.

"Well do you mind spitting it out?" She said a little rudely.

"As you know, we are in a war, a war that goes way past you and me, a battle between the world and one man. That man, Tom Riddle." Everyone knew this, so why was he telling them this.

"This war will not end until Tom Riddle falls. We know we have heard it before Professor." James said, confused as the rest of them.

"But he's after something. Something you possess James. Something I possess. And something Ariel possesses." They all still looked confused. "The Deathly Hallows."


End file.
